Best Italian Restaurants in Murray Hill & Kips Bay (10016)
7 hand-picked restaurants, critic-reviewed and ranked
Last Updated: January 2026
Our Top Pick
Audace NYC
Design-forward Italian dining room with elaborate pastas, signature pizzas and rooftop-adjacent energy.
Notable Picks
#1
Audace NYC
8.8
Audace sits on Park Avenue South with a glamorous dining room and rooftop-adjacent bar, channeling modern Italian fine dining through handmade pastas, elaborate pizzas and plated mains. It’s built for special-occasion nights where cocktails, skyline peeks and richly sauced courses all matter as much as the food.
Must-Try Dishes:
Pizza Audace, Linguine ai Gamberi di Mazara, Tortello Cacio e Pepe Napoletano
What makes it special: Design-forward Italian dining room with elaborate pastas, signature pizzas and rooftop-adjacent energy.
#2
Norma
8.7
Norma’s Murray Hill outpost leans into Sicilian comfort cooking, from arancini and panelle to richly sauced pasta alla Norma and pan-style pizzas. The cozy room and attentive staff make it a go-to for lingering dinners that feel more like a trattoria in Catania than a Third Avenue address.
Must-Try Dishes:
Arancini Siciliani, Pasta alla Norma, Rianata Sicilian Pan Pizza
What makes it special: Sicilian-focused trattoria known for arancini, pasta alla Norma and warm hospitality.
8.4
Fumo Kips Bay is a busy neighborhood Italian where thin-crust pies, big bowls of pasta and a lively bar anchor everything from brunch to late dinners. With $12 weekday pastas and a strong happy hour, it’s as much a casual hang for locals as a reliable date or group spot.
Must-Try Dishes:
Margherita Pizza, Spaghetti Vongole, $12 Lunch Pasta Special
What makes it special: High-volume neighborhood Italian with strong value, pizza and pastas.
#4
Coletta
8.3
Coletta is a cozy Gramercy spot where vegan and kosher Italian cooking gets the full white-tablecloth treatment, from brick-oven pizzas to housemade pastas and composed entrées. Diners come for plant-based takes on classics that still feel indulgent, backed by polished service and a date-night-friendly room.
Must-Try Dishes:
Wild Mushroom Truffle Pizza, Ricotta Ravioli in Lemon White Wine Sauce, Coletta Tiramisu
What makes it special: Upscale vegan and kosher Italian that still feels richly indulgent.
8.3
Vibes:
Cheap Eats Budget Brilliance
Comfort Food Classics
Quick Bites Champions
Family Friendly Favorites
Lena’s Italian Kitchen is a quick-service operation that punches above its weight with big, saucy platters and pastas built for delivery and takeout. It’s a staple for Kips Bay residents who want red-sauce comfort—chicken parm, vodka rigatoni, loaded salads—without a full sit-down night out.
Must-Try Dishes:
Chicken Parm Platter, Pasta Alla Vodka, Pasta Fiorentina
What makes it special: High-volume counter-service spot turning out hefty, delivery-friendly Italian classics.
Ramerino brings a Tuscan-accented Italian steakhouse to Midtown East, pairing prime cuts and handmade pastas with a handsome, softly lit dining room. It’s used as much for business dinners near Bryant Park as for classic New York date nights built around branzino, pappardelle and a strong wine list.
Must-Try Dishes:
Pappardelle with Wild Mushroom and Truffle, Cacio e Pepe Tonnarelli, Homemade Amaretto Tiramisu
What makes it special: Tuscan-driven Italian prime house with tableside touches near Bryant Park.
8.2
Vibes:
Girls Night Out Approved
Business Lunch Power Players
Happy Hour Hotspots
Outdoor Dining Oasis
Tarallucci e Vino’s NoMad location combines a bustling wine bar with a serious pasta program, pouring Italian bottles alongside rigatoni with six-hour short rib ragù and tonnarelli cacio e pepe. It works equally well for after-work aperitivo, long dinners and weekend patio hangs near Madison Square Park.
Must-Try Dishes:
Rigatoni with Six-Hour Short Rib Ragù, Cacio e Pepe Tonnarelli, Lasagna Verde
What makes it special: Wine-driven Italian café with serious housemade pastas and a busy patio.